3T Biography

The Jackson family is known for their musical talent. Tariano Adaryll “Taj”, Taryll Adren and Tito Joe “TJ” are the sons of former Jackson 5 guitarist Tito Jackson and Delores “Dee Dee” Jackson. They form the music group 3T and are the next generation to carry on the Jackson legacy.

Childhood

Taj, Taryll and TJ grew up in Los Angeles, California. Their mother shielded them from starting with music business too young and made sure her sons had a real childhood and would not rely solely on their musical talent. In fact, all three were among their school’s top baseball players and inducted into National Honor Society (NHS) at Buckley School.

Photo: facebook.com/TheReal3T

The happiness of their childhood ended in 1994, when they lost their beloved mom under suspicious circumstances. It took four long years until her then partner was convicted for her death.

The loss of their mom left a big void in the lives of Taj, Taryll and TJ. Apart form their father Tito, it was their uncle Michael Jackson who was there for the brothers in this difficult time.

Jackson Legacy

Growing up in the Jackson family and being part of an incredible musical legacy, the brothers soon had occasional TV and stage appearances with their famous uncles and aunts. The three brothers always had to work double hard to prove their own talent. Over the years, just watching their famous family members helped Taj, Taryll and TJ perfecting their vocal style. And they also learned how to play instruments and to write music themselves.

Musical Debut

Photo: Jacksonsource

Taj, Taryll and TJ started their band out under the name Three T’s, but later shortened its name to simply 3T.

In 1992, 3T made its musical debut with contributions to a television series about some members of their famous family, The Jacksons: An American Dream. 3T also worked on soundtracks for the movies Free Willy and Free Willy 2.

The track “Didn’t Mean To Hurt You” on the “Free Willy” soundtrack got 3T their recording deal with EPIC. After 3T had already signed that record deal with EPIC, uncle Michael took Taj, Taryll and TJ under his wing, allowing them access to his entertainment resources and signing them to his record label, MJJ Music.

From Brotherhood to Identity

In 1995, Taj, Taryll and TJ released their debut album “Brotherhood” dedicated to the memory of their mother, Delores”Dee Dee” Jackson. Co-produced by their uncle Michael Jackson and Kenneth Komisar, the album was released under Jackson’s record label, MJJ Music and sold over three million records worldwide.

Most of the songs on the album were composed, performed and produced by 3T but they also teamed up with other artists and songwriters at the likes of Corey Rooney, Mark Morales, Gardener Cole, Denniz Pop, Babyface and of course, Michael Jackson. Notable singles out of their debut album were “Anything”, “24/7”, “I Need You”, “Gotta Be You”, and “Tease Me”.

Photo: 3T

The impressive success garnered Taj, Taryll and TJ a huge and loyal fan base, particularly in Europe. In 1997, 3T performed their music live on the Brotherhood Tour.

3T also worked on the soundtracks for the big Will Smith hit movie “Men in Black” and the comedy movie “Trippin’”.

In the late 90s, 3T recorded a second studio album which got never released by Sony (The Lost Album). 3T lost the rights during Michael Jackson’s (MJJ Music) dispute with Sony. 3T ended up as pawns in a huge chess game and were basically stuck on their label. With the support of Aunt Janet they got free of Sony but couldn’t take their album with them. Only in 2011 the brothers obtained the rights back of the songs recorded for this album.

Losing the rights of their own songs was a major setback for the brothers and their musical ambitions. In 2004, 3T released a new studio album, “Identity”, but it was released only in certain markets and didn’t follow the success of their debut album.

Long Way Coming Back

While 3T were planning a comeback in 2009, the music world lost an icon and legend but 3T their uncle. After their mom’s tragic death Michael Jackson’s passing was another great loss for 3T and the brothers decided that focussing on their late uncle’s three children was the priority.

Despite their long break, 3T never stopped making music. Over the years, Taryll and TJ wrote and produced songs for other artists, including Lindsay Lohan. And in 2011, 3T performed along with other artists for a Michael Jackson tribute concert in Wales.

At the end of 2013, 3T decided to start their comeback route with visits to the UK and a charity tour in Italy. In 2014, 3T participated in series 2 of ITV2’s The Big Reunion and were on the line-up of the 13-dates Big Reunion Boyband Tour in the UK.

Photo: Christine

In 2015 3T performed two shows in the Netherlands and starred in Lifetime’s docu series “The Jacksons: Next Generation” revealing what it means living with the Jackson family name. While shooting the footage, Taj, Taryll, and TJ wrote and recorded a give back song and then launched the Dee Dee Jackson Foundation as a tribute to their late mother, Dee Dee Jackson.

With the season’s final of “The Jacksons: Next Generation” on Lifetime USA and 20 years after the release of Brotherhood, 3T eventually released their new album “Chapter III“.